Tsunami strikes Somali coast...Hundreds feared dead

[General Duke]

 

 

Tsunami kills 13,340 from Asia to Somalia

- Monday, December 27, 2004 at 11:40

 

By Dilip Ganguly

Associated Press

 

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - An earthquake of epic power struck deep beneath the Indian Ocean yesterday, unleashing 20-foot tidal waves that ravaged coasts across thousands of miles and killed more than 13,340 people in eight countries.

 

Today, legions of rescuers spread across Asia, searching for survivors and rushing aid to the millions injured or left homeless.

 

The death toll along the southern coast of Asia - and as far west as Somalia, on the African coast, where nine people were reported lost - steadily increased as authorities sorted out a far-flung disaster caused by yesterday's 9.0-magnitude earthquake, the strongest in 40 years and fourth-largest in a century.

 

More than one million people were left homeless in Indonesia alone, and rescuers there today combed seaside villages for survivors. The air force in India used helicopters to rush food and medicine to ravaged coastal areas.

 

A million more were driven from their homes in Sri Lanka, where 25,000 soldiers and 10 air force helicopters were deployed in relief and rescue efforts, authorities said.

 

The earthquake hit at 6:58 a.m.; the tsunami came as much as 21/2 hours later, without warning, on a morning of crystal blue skies. Sunbathers and snorkelers, cars and cottages, fishing boats and even a lighthouse were swept away.

 

Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India each reported thousands dead, and Thailand, a Western tourist hot spot, said hundreds were dead and thousands missing. Deaths were also reported in Malaysia, Maldives and Bangladesh.

 

"It's an extraordinary calamity of such colossal proportions that the damage has been unprecedented," said Chief Minister Jayaram Jayalalithaa of India's Tamil Nadu, a southern state that reported 1,705 dead, many of them strewn along beaches.

 

"It all seems to have happened in the space of 20 minutes," she said. "A massive tidal wave of extreme ferocity... smashed everything in sight to smithereens."

 

At least three Americans were among the dead - two in Sri Lanka and one in Thailand, said State Department spokesman Noel Clay. He said a number of other Americans were injured, but he had no details.

 

"We're working on ways to help. The United States will be very responsive," Clay said.

 

The quake was centered 155 miles south-southeast of Banda Aceh, the capital of Indonesia's Aceh province on Sumatra island, and six miles under the Indian Ocean's seabed. The temblor leveled dozens of buildings on Sumatra - and was followed by at least a half-dozen powerful aftershocks, ranging in magnitude from almost 6 to 7.3. The waves that followed the first massive jolt were far more lethal.

 

An Associated Press reporter in Aceh province saw bodies wedged in trees as the waters receded. More bodies littered the beaches. Authorities said at least 4,448 were dead in Indonesia; the full impact of the disaster was not known, as communications were cut to the towns most affected.

 

The waves barreled across the Bay of Bengal, pummeling Sri Lanka, where 6,090 were reported killed - 4,590 in areas controlled by the government and about 1,500 in regions controlled by Tamil rebels, who listed the death toll on their Web site. There was an unconfirmed report of 500 more deaths on another Web site that provided no details. About 170 children were feared lost in an orphanage.

 

The carnage was incredibly widespread. About 2,300 were reported dead along the southern coasts of India, at least 431 in Thailand, 48 in Malaysia, and 32 in the Maldives, a string of coral islands off the southwestern coast of India. At least two died in Bangladesh - children who drowned as a boat with about 15 tourists capsized in high waves.

 

A British aid group, Christian Aid, said it feared tidal waves may have caused death and destruction in Myanmar, and the country's ruling junta could be suppressing news about casualties or damage.

 

"The possibility that [Myanmar] has been badly affected by this disaster is at the forefront of our fears at the moment," the group said.

 

The huge waves struck around breakfast time on the beaches of Thailand's resorts - probably Asia's most popular holiday destination at this time of year, particularly for Europeans fleeing the winter cold.

 

"People that were snorkeling were dragged along the coral and washed up on the beach, and people that were sunbathing got washed into the sea," said Simon Clark, 29, a photographer from London vacationing on Ngai island.

 

In India's Andhra Pradesh state, 32 people were drowned when they went into the sea for a Hindu religious ceremony to mark the full moon. Among them were 15 children.

 

"I was shocked to see innumerable fishing boats flying on the shoulder of the waves, going back and forth into the sea, as if made of paper," said P. Ramanamurthy, 40, of that state.

 

The earthquake that caused the tsunami was the largest since a 9.2 temblor hit Prince William Sound in Alaska in 1964, said geophysicist Julie Martinez of the U.S. Geological Survey.

 

"All the planet is vibrating" from the quake, said Enzo Boschi, the head of Italy's National Geophysics Institute. Speaking on SKY TG24 TV, Boschi said the quake even disturbed Earth's rotation.

 

The quake occurred at a place where several huge geological plates push against one another with massive force. The survey said a 620-mile section along the boundary of the plates shifted, motion that triggered the sudden displacement of a huge volume of water.

 

Scientists said the death toll might have been reduced if India and Sri Lanka had been part of an international warning system designed to advise coastal areas that a potentially killer wave was approaching. Although Thailand is part of the system, the west coast of its southern peninsula does not have the system's wave sensors mounted on ocean buoys.

 

As it was, there was no warning. Gemunu Amarasinghe, an AP photographer in Sri Lanka, said he saw young boys rushing to catch fish that had been scattered on the beach by the first wave.

 

"But soon afterward, the devastating second series of waves came," he said. He climbed onto the roof of his car, but "in a few minutes my jeep was under water. The roof collapsed. I joined masses of people in escaping to high land. Some carried their dead and injured loved ones. Some of the dead were eventually placed at roadside, and covered with sarongs. Others walked past dazed, asking if anyone had seen their family members."

 

Many areas were without electricity. In Tamil Nadu in India, a unit of the Madras Atomic Power Station was shut down after water entered the plant.

 

The international airport was closed in the Maldives after a tidal wave that left 51 people missing in addition to the 32 dead.

 

Indonesia, a country of 17,000 islands, is prone to seismic upheaval because of its location on the margins of tectonic plates that make up the Ring of Fire around the Pacific Ocean basin.

 

The Indonesian quake struck three days after an 8.1 quake along the ocean floor between Australia and Antarctica caused buildings to shake hundreds of miles away. That temblor caused no serious damage or injury.

 

Quakes reaching a magnitude 8 are rare. A quake registering magnitude 8 rocked Japan's northern island of Hokkaido on Sept. 25, 2003, injuring nearly 600. An 8.4 magnitude tremor that struck off Peru on June 23, 2001, killed 74.

 

____________________

 

What Are Tsunamis?

 

Tsunami is a Japanese word that translates as "harbor wave."

 

Oceanographers call tsunamis "seismic seawaves" because they are usually caused by a sudden rise or fall of part of Earth's crust under or near the ocean.

 

A tsunami is not a single wave but a series of waves that can travel at speeds of more than 500 m.p.h.

 

As a tsunami enters coastal shallows, its velocity slows but its height increases. A tsunami just a few feet high from trough to crest can rear up more than 100 feet as it hits the shore, striking with devastating force.

 

There is little warning of a tsunami's approach. The first indication is often a sharp swell, not unlike an ordinary storm swell.

 

SOURCES: Reuters; http://www.tsunami.org/faq.htm; http://www.nws.noaa.gov

[General Duke]

Over 100 Somali fishermen feared killed by tsunamis

- Monday, December 27, 2004 at 11:36

 

More than 100 Somali fishermen are presumed dead as a result of deadly tsunamis that battered the country's coast over the weekend, a presidential spokesman told AFP.

 

"The number of missing people, who are assumed to be dead, is more than 100 along the coastline at the Indian Ocean in the regional state of Puntland," Yusuf Ismail Baribari, a spokesman for Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed said.

 

"They went fishing as usual early yesterday morning and have not returned because of the tragedy."

 

Mr Baribari said the fishermen came from the Gara'g, Haafun and other villages in north-eastern Puntland region and sailed to the sea with small wooden boats called dhows, which they use for fishing.

 

Tidal waves, triggered by an earthquake in Indonesia have left more than 20,000 people dead in Asia, also smashed several points in the Africa's eastern coast on Sunday.

 

"We are appealing for immediate humanitarian assistance," Mr Baribari said, adding that tidal waves shattered several boats along the country's coastline.

 

The chaotic horn of Africa country has no effective mechanism of responding to disaster since 1991 when dictator Mohammed Siad Barre was toppled and the whole nation plunged into chaos and anarchy.

 

Accordingly, Mr Baribari said it was hard to assess the scale of disaster in the country of about 10 million inhabitants with a vast coastline, stretching from Kenya to the Gulf of Aden.

 

Source: www.abc.net.au

[General Duke]

100 kalluumaysato Soomaalyeed ah oo ku geeriyootey biyaha badweynta India

 

 

SBC Exclusive - 27.December.2004 Wararka ka imanaya xeebaha ku dherersan gobollada Mudug ilaa iyo Shabeellaha Dhexe ayaa sheegaya in ugu yaraan 100 nin oo kalluumaysato ahaa ay ku dhinteen xeebahaasi kadib markii ay badweynta India si weyn u kacday taas oo qayb ka ahayd ruxankii badda hoosteeda ka dhacay ee koonfurta Qaaradda Asia.

 

Sawirro uu soo saaray telefishanka BBC-du ayaa laga arki karayey doonyo iyo saxiimado yaryar oo ay biyuhu burburiyeen, iyo dadka kalluumaysatada ah oo halkaasi si weyn uga qaxaya.

 

Waxaa la filayaa inuu khasaaraha naf iyo maalba leh ee soo gaarey Soomaalida kalluumaysatada ah ay sare u kacdo, waxaana jira hadal hayn weyn oo ka warrameysa dad fara badan oo aan ilaa iyo haatan la ogeyn meel ay jaan iyo cirib dhigeen.

 

Dawlad Goboleedka Soomaaliyeed ee Puntland ayaa ku biirtay siddeedda dal ee ku yaala qaaradda Asia ee codsaday garkaarka iyo samata bixinta caalamiga ah, Magaalada Garoowena shir jar’aaid oo ay qabteen golaha xukuumaddu waxay ku dalbadeen gargaar isla markaana ka war bixiyeen sidii ay wax u dhaceen.

 

Maxamuud Faarax Bile

farahbile@hotmail.com

[General Duke]

Dadkii ku dhintay masiibadii dhulgariirka Asia oo caga cagaynaya 20,000 oo qof

 

South Asia - 27.December.2004 In ka badan 14,000 oo qof ayaa ilaa iyo haatan la xaqiijiyey in ay ku dhinteen dhulgariirkii ka dhacay badda hoosteeda ee koonfurta Asia, waxaana lagu qiyaasay 9.0 qiyaasta dhulgariirka ee magnitude oo ahaa kii ugu xumaa ee dunta soo mara muddo 40 sannadood ah.

 

Mawjadihii ka dhashay dhulgariirkaasi ayaa waxay sidoo kale herdiyeen xeebaha bari ee Soomaaliya amaba Puntland, kuwaas oo ay ku dhinteen 40 qof ilaa iyo inta la ogyahay.

 

Kooxo gargaarka iyo kuwa badbaadinta ayaa ku raad jooga kumanaan qof oo kale oo ku lumay dhinaca koonfureed ee qaaradda Asia, si ay u caawiyaan haddii ay dhaawac ahaan ku helaan.

Dhulgariirka ka soo butaacey badweynta India wuxuu saameeyey ilaa siddeed waddan oo dhinaca ku haya biyaha baddweyntaas, waxaana ugu sii daran waddammada Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia iyo Thailand.

Hay’adda dhulgariirrada cabbirta ee Maraykanka ayaa markii hore ku qaddartay dhulgariirka 8.9, hase yeeshee goor dambe ayey iska hay’adda Geological Survey ogaatey in uu ahaa 9.0.

Goor hore oo subaxnimadii saaka ahna waxaa jasiirradda Sumatra ee Indonesia laga soo sheegay dhulgariir cusub oo hor leh, waxaana digniin iyo qaylo dhaan loo diray waddammada Sri Lanka iyo India.

 

 

Imisaa ku dhimatay dhulgariirka ilaa iyo haatan?

 

Sri Lanka: 4,850 oo qof

Indonesia: 4,440 oo qof

India: 4,270 oo qof

Thailand: 430 qof

Malaysia: 44 qof

Maldives: 32 qof

Bangladesh: 2 qof

Somalia: ugu yaraan 50 qof.

 

Maxamuud Faarax Bile

farahbile@hotmail.com

[General Duke]

Many missing as waves hit Africa

 

Beaches in Kenya have now reopened

Hundreds of Somalis are feared to have drowned in the massive waves produced by Sunday's undersea earthquake off the coast of Indonesia.

A government spokesman said settlements along Somalia's coast had been flooded by the rising waters.

 

"Coastal towns have been swept away by the waves and there is severe damage to property," Yusuf Ismail said.

 

Waves which swept 7,000km (4,000 miles) from the epicentre, also struck Kenya, Mauritius, Reunion and the Seychelles.

 

About 100 Somali fishermen have not returned after putting out to sea on Sunday.

 

"The bodies of 48 people have been recovered," rural development minister in Somalia's north-east state of Puntland, Ali Abdi Awari, told BBC News.

 

Somali elders gathering information on two-way radios and local journalists put the death toll at more than 50 people, although Mr Ismail said the deaths on land alone in the central and north-eastern areas could be "in the hundreds".

[General Duke]

Tidal Waves Travel 2,800 Miles to Kill Hundreds of Somalis

 

"PA"

 

Hundreds of Somalis died and entire villages and towns disappeared when tidal waves hit the East African nation’s coastline after travelling 2,800 miles across the Indian Ocean.

 

The waves were triggered by the 9.0-magnitude undersea quake centred off the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

 

The “human loss is in the hundreds in the central and north-eastern coastal area. Entire villages and coastal town have been swept away by the tidal waves and there is severe damage to property,†said Yusuf Ismail, spokesman of Somalia’s President Abduallhi Yusuf Ahmed.

 

The spokesman is based in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, where the Somali parliament is based because the Somali capital is considered too dangerous.

 

He said he could not give an exact figure of the number dead because “we’re focussing on extending our limited relief to the badly affected people.â€

[General Duke]

Badweynta India oo ku soo fatahday xeebaha Puntland

 

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meelaha qasaaruhu gaareen.

 

Dhulgariir le'eg 8.9 RS, oo ahaa kii ugu xoogaweynaa aduunka muddo 40 sanno ah ayaa qasaare balaaran ka gaystay wadamo badan. Biyo sidii derbi u dheer oo tobonaan mitir ah ayaa xaaqay dad iyo duunyaba.- source:bbc

Wararka aan saaka ka helayno tuulooyin ka tirsan gobolka Mudug oo lagula xiriiray isgaarsiinta fooneeyaha ayaa sheegaya in Saakasubuxnimaddii tuulooyin badan oo ku yaal xeebaha badweynta India ay ku soo rogmatay bad weynta India ka dib markay halkaas ku dhafteen duufaano iyo dabaylo iswata oo si xawli ah ku socda, halkaasna ay ka dhaceen qasaarooyin naf iyo maalba leh. Fatahaada badda ayaa la sheegay inay ka dhacday inta u dhaxaysa degmada Eyl illaa degmada Hobyo ee gobolka Mudug.

Warar aan ka helay magaalada Garacad ee ka tirsan degmada Jariiban ayaa sheegaya in qasaarooyin badan ay halkaas ka dhaceen. Badda ayaa ku soo fatahday gudaha magaalada iyadoo halkaas ay ku burbureen dhismayaal fara badan iyadoo biyihii badduna fariisteen gudaha magaalada iyo dhismayaasha gudahooda, magaaladdiina laga kala yaacay iyadoo la sheegay in biyaha baddu ay horey iyo gadaal u butaacayaan illaa hadda. Dhawr qof ayaa la'yahay loona malaynayaa inay baddu liqday oo aan illaa hadda lahayn. Waxaa fatahaada ku burburay doonyihii kaluumaysiga iyo qalab kale oo loo adeegsan jiray hawlaha kaluumaysiga. Magaalada Garacad ayaa waxay xurun u tahay kaluumaysato badan waana magaalada ay degan yihiin kaluumaysatada ugu badan Puntland.

 

Tuulooyinka u dhow udhow magaalada Garacad ayaa iyagana laga soo sheegayaa qasaarooyin, tuulooyinka Il-foocshe, Ceel-lahelay, Dhinowda iyo ceel dhanaane ayaa la sheegay inay baddu ku soo fatahday.

 

Qasaarooyin taas la mida ayaa la filayaa inay wada gaareen tuulooyinka iyo degmooyinka ku teedsan xeebaha badweynta India inta u dhaxaysa degmada Eyl illaa degmada Hobyo ee gobolka Mudug inkasta oo aan wali laga hayn warar rasmi ah qasaaraha ka dhacay magaalooyinkaas.

 

3-dii bishaan December ayaa warbix ay soo quburada hawada Tropical Storm Risk (TSR) ay kaga digeen duufaano iyo dabaylo xawaare sare ku socda oo ku soo beegan xeebaha Puntland kuwaas oo markii ay soo gaareen xeebaha gaystay khasaarooyin badan. Dhibaatooyinka duufaanaha ayaan horey looga aqoon dhulka Somaliya, waxaana culumada Hawada iyo cimiladu sheegayaan in ay arimahaani qayb ka yihiin isbadalka ku yimid cimilada aduunka guud ahaan.

 

Mudugonline.com

[nuune]

Tidal wave kills hundreds of Somalis

 

Tidal wave kills hundreds of Somalis

 

HUNDREDS of Somalis died and entire villages and towns disappeared when tidal waves hit the East African nation’s coastline after travelling 2,800 miles across the Indian Ocean.

 

The waves were triggered by the 9.0-magnitude undersea quake centred off the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

 

The “human loss is in the hundreds in the central and north-eastern coastal area. Entire villages and coastal town have been swept away by the tidal waves and there is severe damage to property,†said Yusuf Ismail, spokesman of Somalia’s President Abduallhi Yusuf Ahmed.

 

The spokesman is based in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, where the Somali parliament is based because the Somali capital is considered too dangerous.

 

He said he could not give an exact figure of the number dead because “we’re focussing on extending our limited relief to the badly affected people.†Ismail said the worst affected coastlines were along the semi-autonomous north-eastern region of Puntland and the central regions of Mudug and Upper Shabelle.

[- Femme -]

Allah ha u naxariisto. Ameen

 

[witeshark]

SO sorry to hear of such immense harm. I hope good news awaits those who know nothing yet :eek:

[Baashi]

Innaa Lilaahi waa innaa Ileyhi raajicuun. Allah yarxama.

[Libaax-Sankataabte]

May Allah ease their pain. Ilaahay ha u naxariisto.

[StarGazer]

GERMANY SEEKS DEBT RELIEF FOR INDONESIA AND SOMALIA

[rudy-Diiriye]

lets pray for all the victims.

[Khayr]

Salaamz,

you know this incident reminds me of some of the names of Allah such as 'Al Khafidh (The Abbasir), 'Al Haseeb (The Reckoner), Al-Muntiqam (The AVENGER) and the REALITY of the Qiyamaa.

 

It as real as Sun that shines over our head during the day and the moon that takes us away from the darkness at Night...and the only sure thing in life is that we are going to Die, that you can BET on.

 

If anyone doubted that the qiyaamah can't come in the Blink of an eye, then here is your proof that it can and that it is very real and scary and out right freighting, as many of these countries felt it a few days ago.

 

 

Fi Amanillah